How to Find a Qualified Electriciansubmitted on 22 December 2016
You have decided that it is time to get started on some home improvement projects that you may have been putting off for some time now. You may want to install a new home movie theater in your basement, or maybe some new lighting fixtures that will require some rewiring in your dining room. Whatever the project is, you are going to need to find an electrician. You want to ensure that you are looking out for the right person or company to take on the job. There are many things to consider if you want to find a qualified person to do the job like cost, length of time the process will take, and how it all will turn out. Take the time you need to do your research so you can make a smart decision about your hire.
Licensed and Insured The company or individual that you are hiring must be legally licensed to work as an electrician. This may sound obvious but you would be surprised how many people out there may know the trade but haven't taken the time to get licensed. Think about it. If they are cutting corners on their own career moves, they will probably cut corners on your electrical job. Be sure to verify that they are fully licensed before you make the decision to hire anyone. In addition to being licensed they need to be fully insured just in case anything was to go wrong on the job site.
Ask for Business References This is something that most, if not all professional electricians and electrical firms will give you whole-heartedly if you simply ask. Check out the company's website online. Chances are they may have a great deal of customer testimonials that you can look through. If not, you can search through the various online business directories for trusted firms. To get listed on most of the online trusted business directories the company or individual may have had to go through a rigorous acceptance process just to get their business listed there. If you still haven't had any luck, ask your electrician if he or she can provide you with direct references in the form of past business or residential clients and customers. If they can't or won't provide you with this information keep searching.
Workflow & Project Management Before you make your final decision, you may want to consider asking about how the project will be managed and how the workflow is expected to move forward. Many electricians are skilled tradesmen and will be able to do any type of electrical work that you may need. That isn't always enough in today's competitive market. The company or individual that you hire should be able to give you a roadmap of sorts with milestones of progress, needs, possible challenges, and of course, an expected finish date or time. If the electrician cannot provide this information the company may be able to. If they can't give you even a ballpark idea, then it's probably not a good idea to move forward.
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